Carrot Fly activity

[Johnboy]

Hi Phil,
A very interesting process which I have never heard of before. I suspect that the polythene and Straw are to prevent the ground freezing so that it remains possible to lift the crop rather than actually preserving the Carrots.
If you could enquire and learn more I would be very grateful for any update you may come across.
JB.

[The Mouse]

Hi Brenjon,
OH is correct in what he says and this is the reason why supermarket carrots and parsnips are always washed.
The washing actually prevents them from being stored for any length of time.
JB.

And is probably why we are told we should peel, not just wash, shop-bought carrots, yes?

[alan refail]

And is probably why we are told we should peel, not just wash, shop-bought carrots, yes?

This dates back to the 1995 "organophosphate scare" when MAFF advised peeling/cutting off large portions of carrots.

What growers use now I have no idea - we only eat organic carrots (no doubt someone will tell me they're poisonous too).

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
Eaten in very large quantities carrots can poison you!
We had a woman locally, who was just a little cracked, and her diet was carrots and virtually nothing else.
She actually turned orange and spent months in the local hospital getting it all out of her system.
It was not only the colour it actually did considerable damage to her kidneys.
Her name is Olive and thereafter she is known as 'Orange Olive' in the district.
I suppose it simplified her shopping. One very large bag of carrots please.
JB.

[Phil S]

JB
I will have to ask the local farmers When I have chance and they are not busy trying to get somthing out of this summers harvest, i just wonded if anybody else had tried this

[glallotments]

round about this area the carrot crop is sometimes left in the ground, covered with black polethene and coverd with straw to over winter or take up mid winter(large carrot processing establishment nearby), has enybody tried this on deep beds? i presume the farmers must spray for slugs an the like beforehand.

We store our carrots this way but not in deep beds and as JohnBoy only sprinkle a few slug pellets see http://glallotments.co.uk/Carrots2.aspx